Top-order gives India control after Hardik Pandya rout

That was all it took for India to bat again on the second day in Nottingham. In that period, England were blown away by India's pacers, with Hardik Pandya achieving his most successful figures in all competitive cricket - five for 28. England collapsed to 161 all out, despite a fifty-run opening alliance that set the base.

It gave India a massive 168-run lead going into their second innings, and plenty of time to put themselves on the road to victory. Knowing England were on the back foot, India's openers came out looking to attack, and it paid off. By the time the 10th over was completed, India had added 50 more runs to their overall lead. KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan both played with freedom and scored runs around the park - some streaky, some agricultural and some perfect - to put England immediately on the back foot. They finished with 124/2, with an overall lead just 8 short of 300.

It all hadn't started that rosy for India in the morning. They added just 22 runs to their overnight score before folding for 329. It was a score they would have been happy with, given their recent batting form, but considering they lost their last five wickets for just 22 runs, they would've sensed a missed opportunity. That feeling would have further engulfed the dressing room when India's pacers, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, put in an insipid display before Lunch. In nine overs, England raced to 46/0, and with Ashwin laid low by a hip injury, India looked set to have a long, frustrating day on the field.

But what is cricket if not for the most unpredictable of twists. It needed Ishant Sharma to set the turn of events in motion. Both Shami and Bumrah were guilty of pitching the ball too short, but Ishant found the ideal length. He had Cook edging off to Pujara at first slip, but saw the ball slip out of the fielder's hands. Two balls later, he got Cook edging again, this time Rishabh Pant completed an easy catch. Taking a cue from his senior partner, Bumrah hit the right length immediately, and had Keaton Jennings poking to the 'keeper again.

Pant completed his third catch soon after, as Ishant had Pope edging behind to leave England at 75/3. Hardik Pandya arrived soon after and in the space of 29 balls wreaked all kinds of havoc on England. Root edged to KL Rahul first ball, and was given out after multiple replays to confirm weather the fielder had taken the catch cleanly. Shami redeemed himself after a horrid first session by squaring up Stokes to give Rahul his second catch - this one sans the doubt.

Pandya then had Bairstow caught at second slip with a full ball that shaped away, and Woakes caught behind in the same over, off a bouncer. India were flying by then, with England at 118/7. And Pandya still had more up his sleeve.

Rashid followed in his next over, edging an away swinger to Pant, while Stuart Broad was deceived by a full ball that swing in to trap him in front of the stumps. It gave Pandya his first ever fifer in international cricket, and he celebrated by showing the ball to a generous Nottingham crowd that was still coming to terms with that extraordinary spell.

England were reeling at 128/9, and still needed 11 to avoid the follow-on. Jos Buttler went into T20 mode knowing England needed some runs, and slammed a quickfire 39 off 32 balls that included three fours and two sixes, to give the English supporters in the crowd something to cheer for. Bumrah finally wrapped up the innings by getting Buttler caught at long on.

With a 168-run lead, India knew they were only a few quick runs away from putting England fully on the defensive. For Rahul and Dhawan, the time was ripe. The pair batted freely and scored quickly to help bring up another 50-run opening stand for India. But just like in the first session, the first wicket fell when the score was on 60 - Rahul missing the drive and finding his stumps knocked back by Stokes.

Dhawan fell a little later, stumped off Adil Rashid, but India's score had gone past 110 by then. Kohli and Pujara were able to take the team to 124/2 at Stumps. With an overall lead of 292, India will know that another decent batting performance on Day 3 will put the result to bed.